The Anime Zone
by FanGirlStomper
Summary: Strange things are happening to Ed and Al. Not only was their world swallowed up by darkness, but now they are meeting people that sound exactly like them, but from different worlds. It's official: The Elric Brothers have entered the Anime Zone
1. Chapter 1

The Anime Zone

Chapter 1

Ed was surrounded in darkness. There was nothing around him, just empty dark space. Ed's mind raced as he tried to find the way out. There was no way out, it just lead to more emptiness. He cried out,

"HEY! AL! WHERE ARE YOU?"

He ran around, trying to find a path or some way out. He felt claustrophobic and panicky.

"AL, ANSWER ME!"

There was no answer.

Ed sat down, breathless from running around in circles. He was worried. Al was just next to him a moment ago, and now he was completely alone.

It could have been possible that he was trapped in the gate, but he didn't know why.

He tried to think back, to the moment where darkness surrounded him.

-

They had been walking through Central. Edward was hungry, and they were looking for a restaurant to eat at. There didn't seem to be a single one in the whole damn city.

"Ed, maybe we should just go to HQ. Colonel Mustang is waiting for us."

"The Colonel can kiss my ass, I'm starving."

"Maybe we can go over there."

He was pointing to a pub down the street. A drunken man suddenly stumbled out to the road from the pub. He yelled at the bartender.

"Well you know what? You're beer is crap. I could get more buzz… from."

He passed out.

Edward and Alphonse sweat dropped.

"On second thought, let's try somewhere closer to Headquarters."

"Good plan Al."

Ed moaned as they walked down the road to Central Headquarters. Suddenly, he noticed Al was gone. He looked around and saw Al in an alley. He went over to Al and said,

"Look, Al, I know you like cats and all, but for the last time, we can't-"

"Brother, look at this."

He was kneeling in front of some book in a pile of trash. Ed carefully took the book off the ground and read the title.

"_Fullmetal Alchemist"_

"What the hell?"

He opened the book. There was a picture of his arm being deconstructed by Scar. It wasn't a photograph though, it was a drawing. A very _accurate_ drawing.

"What…?"

He flipped through the book more. There were drawings of him and Al performing the fatal transmutation, drawings of the military, drawings of the homunculi.

They were drawings of all the adventures the Elrics had gone through.

Ed and Al were shocked. Ed closed the book slowly. Al spoke quietly.

"Brother, what does it mean?"

"It means you two have seen too much."

They both looked up, startled.

A cloaked figure stood in front of them. It's voiced was cloaked in a strange way that sounded both male and female. They couldn't see it's face, only the red hooded cloak that draped almost every inch of its body.

The figure clapped its hands and touched the book.

Immediately, the book became a brilliant white light. Ed and Al had no idea what the figure was trying to transmute, and they stood frozen in place. Suddenly, Al cried out.

"Ed! The world's fading!"

Ed looked around wildly in fear. The world was indeed fading. The colors became blurred and the people disappeared. A darkness came and ate up the world. Ed and Al sat there shocked and horrified at such a sight.

Soon, there was nothing but blackness around them.

The book stopped glowing. The transmutation had stopped. The figure got up and took the book with it. It hid the book underneath its cloak. Then it got up and walked away.

Ed sat there absolutely mindless for a moment. He snapped back to reality when he heard his brother shout.

"BROTHER! It's taking me!"

He was referring to the darkness. It was swallowing him up, bit by bit. As the suit of armor sunk into the darkness, Ed grabbed his hand.

"I'm not letting you go this time, Al! Hang on!"

"Brother. I can't. It won't let me."

Ed felt Al's grip get weaker. Ed clasped harder. The pull of the darkness was stronger now.

"Damn it, Al! Stay with me!"

"Brother…"

The darkness made one final pull. Al was swept away into the darkness.

Ed felt his mind disconnect from his body. He fell to the ground on his side, his head wiped clean of thought.

As he was fading into unconsciousness, the darkness was swallowing him now. He gazed at the figure that was now fading away into the darkness as it walked forward. Ed sighed and closed his eyes, allowing the darkness to swallow him whole.

-

He finally awoke when a thought came to his mind.

Al.

He opened his eyes and sat up. Ed was surrounded in darkness.

-

As Ed pondered over these memories, he couldn't make any sense of them.

What was that book? Who was that figure? Where was he?

_It's hopeless._ He thought. _I'm probably going to trapped here forever. I have no idea if I'm alive or dead. Maybe I am inside the gate, but it wasn't like this the first time I was inside..._

He stopped thinking when he heard a noise. He looked around. There was no one around.

"Al? Is that you?"

Still no answer. But then the noise came back. It sounded like a footstep. No, _footsteps_. Ed tried to find out where the footsteps were coming from.

"HEY! Is there anyone out there?"

"Just me."

Ed felt a shiver go up his spine. The voice that answered back sounded exactly like his own voice.

A person came into view.

The person was a young man with wild purple hair. He wore black clothes with a black overcoat. But what Ed noticed most of all was that he looked… different. Different from any other person he would see in his world.

The man walked up towards Edward.

"I don't suppose you know where we are."

"…No. I was wondering the same thing."

The man froze. He looked at Ed like he was an alien.

"What?"

"You're…short."

Ed blew up.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE COULD HIDE BEHIND A GRAIN OF RICE?"

"I didn't say that…"

Ed stopped himself and calmed down.

"Sorry, it's a natural reaction. Anyway, who are you?"

"I'm Dark. Dark Mousy."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"Dark Mousy, huh? That's a weird name."

"Oh really? What's your name then?"

"Edward Elric, also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"And you call me weird."

Ed and Dark had only just met. Ed was excited; if there were people around here than Al probably was here too.

"So… Dark. Have you seen a seven foot tall suit of armor around here?"

Dark raised an eyebrow.

"Okay… Now I think you're a freak."

Suddenly, they heard another voice call out in the darkness.

"Haruhi? Haruhi, where are you? Daddy's worried."

Both Ed and Dark were surprised. That voice was the same as theirs.

Soon they saw a boy with blond hair, purple eyes, wearing a blue high school uniform. Ed noticed that he too looked different, even more different than Dark.

He soon saw Dark and Ed and gave a wide-eyed smile.

"Ah! Commoners! Perhaps they know where Haruhi is!"

Ed and Dark both wore expressions of annoyance.

"Did he just call us commoners?"

"Who the hell is that guy?"

The student waved and walked towards them.

"My good men, could you please tell me if you have seen boy walking around here? He may look like a girl, but trust me, he's not! His name is Haruhi, and he has lovely brown hair, _beautiful_ brown eyes and…"

He blabbered on as Ed and Dark whispered to each other.

"He sounds exactly like us. What the hell is up with this place? All I find are a bunch of freak shows."

"How the hell am I a freak? YOU'RE the one with purple hair!"

"Is this a whispering match now?"

Ed and Dark jumped back, startled.

The boy laughed lightheartedly.

"Dear me, it seems I've forgotten to introduce myself! I am Tamaki Suou, king of the Ouran High School Host Club! And who might you two be?"

"Ed Elric and Dark… Whatever. Now what do you know about this place?"

Tamaki stopped smiling and stared up at the blackness.

"Well, nothing, actually. One minute I was picking out a new outfit for Haruhi, the next thing I know…"

He seemed to struggle to remember.

"Let me guess, you saw everything around you being eaten up by darkness."

Dark's eyes suddenly widened.

"I remember! I was minding my own business when suddenly the world was covered in… a blanket of darkness. I was knocked out, and when I woke up, I couldn't hear Daisuke. I went looking for him and found you two."

"I recall something quite like that. The world went black, and when I woke up, I was here."

Ed stared at the ground, deep in thought.

"There's no doubt about it. There's some sort of connection between all of this. Our world was eaten up by darkness…"

Dark scoffed.

"What do you mean 'our world'? You look like you're from a whole different dimension. In fact, you **both** look like you're from different worlds."

"Wait. What part from Amestris are you from?"

Dark and Tamaki both looked wierded out.

"What the hell is Amestris?"

"Is that close to Japan?"

Ed frowned.

"Never heard of it."

Dark seemed deep in thought.

"Then perhaps we are from different worlds. If we are, than somehow darkness took over our worlds at the same time and transported us all here. And the strangest thing of all, we all look completely different yet seem to have the same voice."

Ed suddenly remembered the book and the cloaked figure.

"Wait, when you two were eaten by darkness, did either of you see a figure in a red cloak?"

They both shook their heads.

"Before I was taken by darkness, I found a book that had my name on it. Well, at least my alchemist name. When I looked at the book, it had… drawings of me and my brother and everyone we've met… detailing our adventures. And then a cloaked figure showed up and…"

Tamaki seemed worried.

"Edward, are you ill?"

Ed looked up at the two men he just met. They both showed concern to some degree. Ed sighed and said,

"Never mind. I'm just rambling now. But still, there's something big going on. We all have to find the people we're looking for. That's what matters the most right now. If we found each other, than surely we can find them."

Ed got up and started walking.

"I know Al's out there somewhere. He was taken by the darkness too. Perhaps this place **is** the darkness, and if it is, then I'll find Al."

He stopped and turned to Tamaki and Dark.

"Are you two willing to search through the darkness?"

They both stood there for a moment. Then Dark smirked and walked forward.

"They don't call me Dark for nothing. I know Daisuke is in here somewhere. I can sense it."

Tamaki smiled and walked next to Dark.

"Yes! I'll do anything to find my Host Club, and more importantly, to find Haruhi."

Ed smiled back at them.

"Good then, we'll find them all soon. And once we do that, we'll figure out how to get out of this damn place."

"Monami! You are truly a great leader! We must go forth and find our dearest friends and family! COME TO ME, MY HOST CLUB! YOUR KING CALLS FOR YOU!"

"What's with all the "king" business?"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The trio had been wandering for hours now. Even Tamaki had lost his vibrant energy as the time passed slowly.

"Haruhi… Haruhi… Daddy's tired now, Haruhi. Be a good girl and come to daddy's arms-"

Ed finally cracked.

"WILL YOU EVER SHUT UP!? We've been wandering for hours now, so I doubt you'll find Haruhi any time soon! And wait… I thought Haruhi was a boy."

Tamaki cried out and tried to cover his slip up.

"WHAT? DID I CALL HARUHI A GIRL? SHE IS NOT A GI- GAH! I MEAN **HE'S** NOT A GIRL! WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA THAT HARUHI WAS A GIRL, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HER-"

Dark sighed.

"Give it up, Tamaki. You've called Haruhi "daughter" for the last few hours now. We know she's a girl."

Tamaki's face flushed. He sighed dramatically and kept on walking. Ed, now calmed down, finally attempted to have some sort of conversation to keep up their spirits.

"So, Tamaki, you don't really look like a dad. How is Haruhi you're daughter?"

Dark answered this question.

"Let me guess, you only love her like a daughter, but are in no way related to her."

"That's not true! Haruhi is in my host club, and everyone in the host club is my family, therefore, Haruhi IS my daughter!"

Ed gave a long sigh.

"If I knew what the hell a host club was, I'd probably have some sympathy for you. But now you seem like a total idiot."

Tamaki grumbled.

"Still, I love my daughter, so I am going to find her no matter what it takes!"

Though he didn't intend for it, Ed felt a small twinge of sympathy for Tamaki. He was willing to find Haruhi no matter what it took, just like Ed would do anything to find Al again. He suddenly wondered what Dark was looking for.

"So Dark, is Daisuke you're brother?"

"No. It's a little more complicated than that. If I told you, however, your minds might just reach the point of insanity."

Ed gave a smirk.

"Eh, I guess you're right. I'm pretty sure we've all through the weirdest experience of our lives today, any more and we might crack."

"It seems he's already at that point."

Dark was referring to Tamaki, who was still calling out Haruhi's name and waving his arms up in down.

"Who can blame him? He's been taken away from the person he loves."

Ed looked up, trying to find some sort of sky in all the blackness.

_I wonder if Winry's all right._ He thought to himself.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar clink.

He stopped in his tracks, looked forward and squinted his eyes.

"Al?"

Dark and Tamaki stopped in their tracks behind him.

"Edward? What's the matter?"

"Didn't you two hear it?"

Ed listened for the sound again. He heard another clink, this time louder.

Soon, those clinks turned into clanking footsteps, getting louder and louder.

Ed smiled and ran towards the footsteps.

"AL!"

As he ran, Tamaki and Dark ran after him.

"Edward, WAIT!"

Edward heard the clanking footsteps get faster, heading towards him.

"AL! Thank goodness you're safe-"

Ed stopped dead in his tracks. Barry the Chopper had his axe right above his head.

"Well, if it isn't the Fullmetal Alchemist? Finally! Something to CHOP in this god-awful place!"

He swung the axe down.

Ed dodged the attack, just as a boy with orange hair knocked Barry to the ground.

"GOD- DAMN IT! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? WE FINALLY FIND OTHER PEOPLE, AND ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS CHOP THEM TO PIECES!"

Behind the angry orange- haired boy was a boy with black hair wearing a suit.

"Honestly, you two are the dumbest people I've ever met."

Ed was freaked out. All three of them had the same voice, just like he had with Dark and Tamaki.

He got up and pointed to the new trio.

"Okay, who the hell are you?"

All three of them looked at Ed. Barry got up and said,

"Of course you know me, Fullmetal. I'm Barry the Chopper, the one who almost succeeded in chopping up you and your little girlfriend."

"Kyo Sohma. If you know a way out, please tell me so I can get the hell away from this psycho."

"Jimmy Kudo, detective. I agree with Kyo on that point."

Ed, Dark and Tamaki all nervously laughed.

"Actually, we have no idea how to get out of this damn place. We were hoping you knew that…"

The Barry trio stared down at the Ed trio with fiery glares.

Kyo was the first one to yell.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW? SO WE'VE BEEN WANDERING AROUND THIS PLACE FOR NOTHING?"

"GAH! NOW I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO CHOP UP BEAUTIFUL WOMEN AGAIN!"

"Great, now we have no chance of being saved."

Kyo pointed to Ed.

"How the hell did you think WE would know the way out?"

Ed yelled back.

"WHAT? We only just met! Why would you immediately assume we knew the way out?"

"It's no use, you both are total idiots."

Ed and Kyo both felt shivers go down their spines. They both knew that voice.

They turned to the source of the voice. A little boy with brown hair stood with a frown on his face.

"You both think you're so smart, but in reality, you can't even find you're way out of this dump. How pathetic."

Ed stared at the boy, then he saw the glint of metal come from behind him.

"Brother!"

Ed smiled and ran towards Al.

"Al! I thought you were lost! I spent hours looking for you-"

Ed was interrupted when he fell flat on his face. The boy had tripped him.

"BROTHER!"

Al came down and helped Ed up. He looked to the boy.

"Come on, Hiro. That was cruel. He's my brother."

Hiro scoffed.

"I wouldn't care if he was your grandma. It's his own fault, running into me like that, threatening to knock me down."

Ed couldn't believe it. How could such a mean boy have Al's voice?

Al looked back down at Ed.

"Brother, I so glad your okay. I'm sorry I had to leave you like that."

Ed sighed.

"It's okay, Al. It wasn't your fault. I'm just glad I didn't have to get you this time."

Al laughed a little. He looked up and saw the others.

"So, I see you've made friends."

"Looks like you have, too. Though Al, I have to admit, you pick better strays than friends sometimes."

Hiro scowled at them both. Suddenly, Ed noticed another figure behind Al. He had blond hair and blood red eyes. Al noticed Ed staring at the boy and said,

"Oh, I guess I have to make some introductions. That boy over there is Hiro Sohma."

He pointed to Hiro.

"And this is Ion Fortuna."

Ion smiled and gave a little wave.

Ed smiled back. At least this boy seemed nice.

Al suddenly whispered to him.

"Brother, I know this sounds weird, but they both have my voice. I don't know why, but after I woke up, we found each other, and decided to go searching for you. Well, I wanted to search for you. They wanted to find some girls they knew… Kisa and Esther, I think."

Ed stifled a laugh.

"Trust me, Al. It's not as crazy as you think. Dark and Tamaki over there have the same voice as me, and those three over there all have the same voice."

"But Ed, what could this mean?"

"I don't know, Al, but all I do know is that we have to find a way out of here soon before we all go crazy."

"There's also something else I've noticed, brother. These people look completely different from any person we'd see. Some of them have big heads and eyes, and some of them have weird hair. How is this possible?"

"Dark concluded that we were from different worlds, and I think that's the case for all of us. There is the possibility that more than one world exists. But still, this whole thing is mind blowing. These people seem to come from different times, and they talk about places I've never even heard about. And what's more, they came here the same way, being swallowed up by darkness. There's no way this can be a hallucination. There's something going on between all of this."

Ed soon noticed that Tamaki was behind him. He was staring up at Al with huge eyes. He soon smiled and said,

"Ah! So you must be Edward's older brother!"

Before Al could say anything, Ed was already crumpled to a heap on the floor. Tamaki looked down at Ed and got the message at once.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I meant, so you're Edward's **younger** brother, right?"

"Smooth." Hiro chided.

Suddenly, they all heard footsteps around them. They seemed to be gathering closer and closer towards the nine of them. Tamaki looked around and said,

"I say. Is this some sort of cosplay convention?"


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

The Elric brothers looked around. All they could see were more and more people gathering around them. Some were familiar faces; others were completely unknown to them. There seemed to be thousands surrounding them, and all they could do was stare in amazement.

They saw Riza Hawkeye standing next to a boy with a straw hat and a large grin and a woman with red hair and grey eyes. Ion Fortuna ran towards the woman crying out "Esther!"

They also saw Wrath standing next to boy with Tamaki's uniform and a bunny doll and a girl with orange hair and brown eyes. The boy suddenly smiled and called out,

"Hey! It's Tama Chan!"

Wrath looked over and saw the Elrics.

"Fullmetal!"

Tamaki smiled and waved back at the boy.

"Hunny Senpai! I'm so glad my host club is returning to me!"

"Hey, Tama Chan, you wouldn't have happened to see Takashi around? It got pretty lonely without him."

Tamaki looked around.

"Oh! There's Mori Senpai! Over there! "

Hunny ran towards Mori. He climbed up onto Mori's side and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Takashi!"

Ed looked over at the scene, and saw a familiar face next to Mori.

"Well, Fullmetal, how do you explain this? Something tells me you have something to do with this."

"Well if isn't the Colonel? Do me a favor, don't lay this one on me. I honestly don't have any idea what's going on."

"You're right, you're too short to even create something as big as this."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT IF HE WAS A DRAWF STAR, YOU COULDN'T FIND HIM WITH THE MOST POWERFUL TELESCOPE IN THE WORLD?"

"Oh! Edward and Alphonse Elric! I'm so glad you boys managed to make it out okay! Of course, it would have been better if you had me come along, because the art of survival has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations!"

Ed and Al looked towards the voice. Major Armstrong was standing with his shirt off next to a guy with green hair and three swords and a guy with tall black hair and some sort of suit. They both looked freaked out as Armstrong flexed his muscles.

"We do not know this man." Murmured the one with green hair.

Suddenly, Tamaki gave out a cry.

"HARUHI!"

He leaped towards a girl with short brown hair and large brown eyes, wearing the same exact uniform as Tamaki. He took Haruhi in his arms and nuzzled his cheek against her forehead.

"It's okay, Haruhi. Daddy's here! Daddy's so glad he found you! He was afraid you were lost forever. NEVER LEAVE DADDY AGAIN, HARUHI!"

"Senpai… Please let go of me."

Ed watched the bizarre yet somewhat endearing sight, but then his eye caught on to a familiar face beside Haruhi. She was talking to Haruhi over Tamaki's rambling.

"So this is Tamaki, huh? He seems… sweet. It's weird, though, because he sounds an awful lot like-"

She stopped talking the minute she looked Ed's way.

"Ed…" She murmured.

"Winry." Ed murmured back.

Ed soon saw a huge smile on Winry's face.

"ED!"

She ran towards Edward. Before he knew it, he was in her arms, wrapped around in an embrace. He could manage to keep a gasp of surprise from escaping his mouth, but he felt his cheeks redden.

"Ed, I'm so glad you're okay. I thought… I thought I'd never see you two again."

He looked at her face. Tears were brimming from her eyes.

He gave her a little smile.

"Yeah. I'm glad you're okay too, Winry."

They both blushed and looked at Tamaki and Haruhi. Tamaki was still holding her close.

"Ed, he sounds a lot like you. And what's more, that Haruhi girl sounds kind of like me. Do you know what's going on?"

"To be honest, I haven't a clue. But what I do know is that we're all from different worlds, yet some of us have the same voice as others. I don't know **what** all of this is, but I'm just hoping we get home soon."

"Edward, you never told me about this beautiful lady here."

Dark had come out of nowhere and stood beside Winry. He stroked her chin and lifted her head slightly, a wicked smile upon his face.

"It's no wonder. You're beauty is so indescribable, he probably couldn't bear to tell us about you. It's a shame, I really wanted to know your name before we met. I am Dark Mousy, and I'm hope Ed knows how lucky he is to know a girl as pretty as you."

He leaned in to kiss her.

Ed sucker-punched him in the face with his automail arm.

As Dark fell down, Ed began his rant.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU, SOME KIND OF PLAYBOY? GO USE YOUR CHEEZY PICKUP LINES ON SOME OTHER GIRL, YOU BASTARD!"

Dark quickly got up and rubbed his cheek, brushing off the punch's impact. He then turned to Tamaki and Haruhi.

"Well then, if I can't be allowed near Edward's girl, I might as well get a chance to meet the incredible Haruhi."

He swept Haruhi out of Tamaki's arms.

"You know, Tamaki's been shouting for you this whole time. He kept saying how cute you are, and how he loves you like a daughter. I do agree with him about how cute you are, but not necessarily on loving you like a daughter. If I were him, I'd have something more… intimate in mind."

As he leaned in to kiss her, Tamaki kicked him in the face. He caught Haruhi and set her aside.

"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO DEFILE MY PRECIOUS HARUHI! YOU ARE NO MAN, DARK! YOU ARE A SCOUNDREL! AS HOST KING I BANISH YOU FROM THE HOST CLUB!"

A boy with red hair and red eyes walked forward.

"Dark, stop embarrassing yourself. You're just not lucky today, so get over it."

Dark got up and smiled softly at the boy.

"I'm glad you're okay, Daisuke."

Suddenly, in all of the chaotic murmur of the crowd, a loud noise rang out.

It was soft, like the wind, yet high, like a flute. It was a sweet sound that rang out above the crowd and stayed in everyone's ears.

Above their heads, a white light appeared. Everyone looked up in awe as the white light grew brighter and brighter. The light formed itself into some sort of shape, but none of them could see exactly what it was. As Ed looked up at it, it reminded him distincvely of that thing he saw at the Gate: indescribable, abstract, and yet a humanoid shape.

The figure came down into the middle of the crowd. The crowd parted so that the thing could have space. When it finally landed on the ground, it took a more distinct form. What everyone saw was a woman made of light, yet it had no features upon its face. It was more like the outline of a woman than an actual woman, but woman nothingness. Ed thought she was beautiful.

The woman of light called out to the masses.

"_I know you all are confused. I cannot possibly explain everything to you all, so I am going to have to ask that ONE representative from each world follow me into the domain of light. I will explain all there."_

Her voice was commanding yet melodic. It was the voice of a mothering figure. Ed could have sworn it sounded like his own mother.

The woman suddenly walked towards the crowds surrounding her. They cleared a path as she came by. When she finally found her way out of the crowd, she turned towards the people. She outstretched her hand, as if holding something in her palm.

A little ball of light came from her hand. It floated further away from the crowds and from the woman. Soon, it became dimmer and dimmer as it got deeper into the darkness.

Suddenly, the little dim ball of light exploded. It burst into a large, brilliant globe of white light, nearly blinding everyone who saw. It hovered above the blackness.

The woman of light walked towards the ball of light. She turned to the people once more. In that moment, Ed saw the woman's face turn into his mother's. He stood there mystified and shocked. The woman gave a Mona Lisa smile and walked into the light. The light consumed her and she was gone.

No one moved a muscle. They all stood staring at the brilliant sight that stood before them, amazed and entranced.

Suddenly, on person walked from the crowd. It was a boy with spiky orange hair in a kimono, carrying a large sword across his back. He walked slowly towards the light, breathless and glassy eyed.

Soon, others began to emerge from the crowd. Ed suddenly had the urge to go to the light himself. He had to see that woman again.

He started to stagger towards the ball of light, making his way through the crowd.

"Brother." Al called out to him, his voice breathless and distant, but Ed ignored him. He had to be there. He could hear the sound come from it, calling him. As he walked towards the ball of light, he felt someone behind him. He turned his head to see Haruhi. He didn't remember her name at the moment, his mind being completely compelled towards the globe of light.

As he took each step closer, he felt his thoughts float away. He soon forgot why he was even walking towards the light, but something inside him compelled him to do so. Finally, he was at the globe of light, staring up at its awe-inspiring beauty. He felt himself still clinging onto a single thought in his mind that wouldn't leave. It told him to look back. Edward, having nearly no willpower at all, did as the thought told him to. He looked back at the crowd with blank faces, and finally came upon the face of his brother.

Al only stared ahead at him, but soon gave a little wave.

Ed smiled and waved back.

He sighed and closed his eyes and let the light swallow him whole.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Ed opened his eyes as his thoughts came rushing back into his head.

He was inside some sort of dome, and the walls were covered with hundreds of pictures of different landscapes. There were about twenty other people in the dome with him, all looking as dazed and confused as he was. He turned his head to see Haruhi standing right next to him. She was her rubbing her eyes and groaning.

"What the hell just happened?"

"I don't know. I guess all of our minds went blank for that moment. It was weird, but at the same time… incredible."

She looked up into Edward's face.

"Hey, you sound an awful lot like Tamaki senpai. Are you Edward Elric?"

"How'd you guess?"

"Winry told me about you. She and I found each other, and we started talking. She talked a lot about some guy named Edward who had a braid and was about a few inches shorter than her."

Edward grimaced for a moment, but then decided to hold back his spazz attack.

"Yeah, and Tamaki wouldn't stop yelling for you for hours. Something tells me that guy's an idiot."

"You have no idea."

The both laughed a little, but then Ed noticed Haruhi looking at him funny.

"What?"

"Not to be nosy or anything, but do you really have a metal arm? One that she made? She wouldn't stop blabbing about the hard work she put into it for hours."

Ed looked around cautiously. No one was looking at them. He pulled his right glove off and showed Haruhi his hand. She stared at it in amazement.

"Wow! I've never seen something like this. That's really cool, Ed."

Ed couldn't help but smirk a little. She hopefully didn't know what he went through to get that arm.

Suddenly, Edward heard that sound again. He looked up at the ceiling. The woman of light was floating down to the center of the dome. When she landed, she stopped shining.

Ed stood there in awe. The woman still seemed to be made of light, but soft, glowing light. She was draped in a white dress, with long and flowing brown hair. Ed saw her face and felt his heart stop.

"Mom…" He murmured.

The woman looked his way. Ed felt shivers go up his spine as she walked towards him, her dress flowing behind her. She outstretched her arm. Ed shut his eyes and tried not to be fooled. She placed her hand on his cheek.

Ed carefully opened his eyes. He saw his mother's face staring back, her large grey eyes illuminated by her moonlight skin.

"_You see me as your mother. Don't you?"_

Ed felt himself slowly nod.

She gave him a Mona Lisa smile.

"_Everyone else sees me differently, usually as someone dear to them who has died."_

She turned to Haruhi, who Ed saw had tears brimming from her large brown eyes.

The woman smiled and walked towards her.

"_Like you, Haruhi. You see me as your mother. Don't you?"_

Haruhi nodded and let the woman wrap her arms around her. She took Haruhi in a sweet embrace, the most protective and motherly embrace Edward had ever seen. However, he could still see his mother's face on her. The woman looked down at Haruhi's face and gave a sad smile.

"_I'm sorry, but I am not your mother."_

Haruhi stifled a sob as the woman walked away from her. She walked back towards the center of the room.

"_I'm sorry that you are all here. I can sense all of your sadness. You should all be in your own worlds, yet you were all brought here by trickery."_

She outstretched her arm towards the walls of the dome.

"_This is Anime Zone, where all anime worlds in the Realm of Animation are kept."_

Ed was incredibly confused.

"_Each one of those pictures is a portal to a different world. These portals are how I watch over you all."_

She rested her arm on her chest.

"_I am Megami, the muse of anime. I am the one who gave your creators the ideas to create you and your worlds. I am also the watcher and protector of these worlds, making sure that no harm come to you-"_

"Wait a minute!"

Ed was the one who had called out. He was now disenchanted.

"What the hell is anime?"

"YOU MEAN YOU HONESTLY DON'T KNOW?!"

Everyone turned their heads to a short girl with long blue hair and green eyes. To Ed, she seemed more unreal than any other person he met that day.

"Anime is animation created in Japan. There are hundreds of series that are popular all around the world. In fact, didn't I see someone cosplay as you the other day?"

Ed was sure she was crazy. However, Megami spoke up again.

"_That is correct, Konata Izumi. Each one of you is from a different anime. I gave your creators ideas and help them create each of your worlds. I am their muse, you are there creations."_

Everyone who stood in that room was stunned.

"So… Basically you're saying… We're not real?"

Ed felt this comment shatter his thoughts. He couldn't believe it. How could he be just a creation? He was a **human. **He wasn't just part of something called an anime.

Megami sighed sadly.

"_You are all real, but only in the Realm of Imagination. These creators create you and your worlds, and develop your life stories. Those stories are read all around the world, and as long as you are still in the minds of your creators and your readers, you exist."_

She waved her arm towards the walls once more.

"_Each of these portals contains a world created by the imagination of the creator and the readers. You live out your lives, I record them and send them to your creators as ideas. Your creator draws them out, and you live on. However, do you notice that some of these portals are blank?"_

Ed looked closer. Some portals were indeed blacked out, but only a few of them.

"_Those are your worlds."_

Everyone was aghast. A boy with dog-ears and a red jumpsuit yelled out to Megami.

"Wait, so now our worlds are gone forever? How?"

"_Do any of you remember the books?"_

Suddenly, the book came back to Edward's mind. He looked around, and everyone else was wearing an expression of realization.

"_As I have witnessed, each of you found a book that documented your life and the lives of your friends."_

She titled her head to the floor.

"_Those books were my idea books. Every time I witnessed more of your adventures, I drew them into those books. There is one book for each anime. Those books were meant to be kept in my possession, yet some of them were stolen and placed into your worlds so each of you would find them."_

She looked up at the crowd's faces.

"_Those books were never meant to reach your eyes. The minute you know of your true existence, your worlds simply can't exist anymore. That's why you were all transported to this place, this negative space we call the Anime Zone. The only way you can be brought back is by finding the books and bringing them back to me, or else you'll forever be wandering in the Anime Zone."_

Ed then remembered the cloaked figure.

"Wait! When I found the book, there was a cloaked figure who did some sort of alchemy on the book, and then that's when my world was covered in darkness."

Megami's eyes widened.

"_The cloaked figure…did it have a red cloak on?"_

Edward nodded.

Megami gasped.

"_A museling."_

"What?"

"_A museling, or a servant to a muse. Every muse has muselings to help them out when recording ideas. One of my muselings must have betrayed me and make sure you wound up here-"_

Suddenly she cried out.

"_Another world is fading!"_

She pointed to one of the portals on the wall. It had the title "Wolf's Rain" underneath it. It was a picture of a grey and dismal post-apocalyptic city. It was fading into black. Megami bowed her head as the landscape faded away.

"_The museling is still at it. By this rate, it'll destroy every anime world."_

"But wait, can't **you **do anything about it?"

She gave Edward a look of utter helplessness.

"_No, unfortunately. I have to always be here, watching over the worlds that still remain. That's why I need your help, since you all have the ability to go into whatever world you wish. If you find the one who has betrayed me, then you will find the books, and when you find the books, you can all go home."_

"But we don't even know where it is. We don't know ho to find the books."

_You may leave that to me. I can see which worlds the museling will attack next, so I'm going to have to ask that you form groups and go into different worlds. I'll bring you back if you're in danger."_

They all stared at her, wondering whether or not to take on this quest.

"_Please, don't do this for me, do it for your worlds. Everyone outside of this dome is counting on you to bring them home. When you bring the books back to me, order will be restored. Without the books, I can't give your creators their ideas, and your worlds will cease to exist."_

Ed pondered over this thought. He could never let that happen to Al, Winry, or even Mustang. He couldn't let that happen to any person he had met so far. He wanted to go home, and he wanted everything to be the way it was. He stepped towards Megami.

"We'll take care of it. We'll find the bastard who sent us here, and we'll bring back the books. Could you just… Give us time to tell our friends what's going on?"

She shook her head.

"_Telling them of their true existence will only increase their suffering. They will all believe they are living a lie. You must all go with each other. However, I will give you the opportunity to say goodbye."_

Ed sighed.

"That'll do fine for me."

The boy with spiky orange hair stood forward.

"Same for me. I wanna get out of this hellhole."

The boy with the straw hat and huge grin also stepped forward.

"Sure! I'll do anything to make sure my crew gets home!"

Everyone shouted and cheered.

Megami smiled.

"_Thank you all. I promise you that you will all make it home. I will find out where the museling is striking next, and give you all time to say goodbye."_

Edward smiled and suddenly felt himself sink through the floor.

Everyone was sinking through the floor, like quicksand.

Ed looked up and saw Megami's smiling face. He felt as though she was his mother in that moment.

"_Trisha told me to tell you boys that she loves you."_

Ed stifled a breath. He felt single tear roll down his face as the light took him in once more.


End file.
